Irish vs Panthers – Saturday Night Football Odds

Jimmy Clausen Looks To Maintain Heisman Pace Against Pittsburgh

Notre Dame had its chance to climb up the BCS rankings with their at-large bid in hand, but now that they’ve accumulated three losses that seems like a far fetched idea. However, quarterback Jimmy Clausen is still in the running for the Heisman after putting up 2,770 yards and 20 touchdowns this season. As a road dog this weekend, Clausen will get to prove he can punch a ticket to NYC this season with a stellar performance against a pass defense that ranks 2nd in the league.

While the Irish are used to posting 325.6 passing yards per game, this will be one of the best secondaries they face all season. Clausen is certainly gifted in both his mechanics and delivery, but he has to prove that he can recreate the kind of performance he had against USC (production wise, not losing wise!).

Pittsburgh is riding a five game winning streak that includes wins over Rutgers, Louisville and South Florida. With a 4-1 ATS record also in their pocket, they’ll look to improve their 2-4 ATS record when playing Notre Dame. A stern defense will see to it that the Panthers remain competitive in this game, but that doesn’t mean that Clausen doesn’t have some tricks up his sleeve.

Notre Dame Fighting Irish (6-3) vs. Pittsburgh Panthers (8-1)

Saturday, November 14th ---- Heinz Field, Pittsburgh --- 8:00pm EST

NCAAF Betting Line: Pittsburgh -6.5 (UNDER)

I think that the problem for Notre Dame is that their rushing game won’t be able to find room against a well coached and talented defense. Despite Clausen’s efforts, the rushing game hasn’t taken advantage of the openings ranking 36th in the league. Pittsburgh can put up points (22.9 per game) so Clausen will have to find his room through the skies if Notre Dame wants to improve on their mark of 1-7 ATS.

I like Pittsburgh in this game only because of their defense and home field advantage. I still think that Clausen posts Heisman worthy numbers, but closing out in the red zone hasn’t been the specialty of the Irish this season and their a calamity against the oddsmakers this season.

Furious Free Pick: Pittsburgh -6.5 (UNDER)